Drontal for Dogs: How to Give It and What to Expect

Name: Drontal for Dogs: How to Give It and What to Expect
Creator: Dr. Zubair Khalid

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-10-03

Drontal for dogs instructions are simple in most cases: give the tablet by mouth at the dose your veterinarian calculates for your dog's weight, with or without a small amount of food, and watch for vomiting in the first hour or two. Most dogs take it without trouble, and side effects are usually mild and short lived. This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

Quick Answer

Drontal is a dewormer that treats common intestinal worms in dogs, including roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms [1].
You can give the tablet with food or on an empty stomach. A small treat helps most dogs swallow it quickly [2].
If your dog vomits soon after the dose, call your veterinarian before giving another tablet.
If you miss a dose, give it as soon as you remember and then ask your vet how to space the remaining doses.
Pregnant dogs, nursing dogs, and puppies need a veterinarian's direction before any deworming product is used.

What Drontal Is and What Veterinarians Use It For

Drontal is an oral deworming tablet for dogs. Its active ingredients target intestinal worms that live in the gut, and the combination is designed to clear several types at once. In field work with hunting dogs that had naturally acquired intestinal worms, the combination of febantel, pyrantel, and praziquantel (the Drontal formula) was evaluated for treating gastrointestinal helminths [1].

Veterinarians reach for dewormers like this for a few common reasons:

A fecal test shows roundworm, hookworm, or tapeworm eggs.
A puppy has a potbelly, poor coat, or visible worms in stool or vomit.
A dog has a known exposure, such as eating prey, scavenging, or living in a kennel or rural area with higher worm risk [1].
A breeder or shelter protocol calls for routine deworming.

Roundworms such as Toxocara canis are diagnosed most often in dogs 6 months of age or younger, and they can spread to people, which is one reason veterinarians treat them promptly [3]. Hookworms also carry a zoonotic risk, meaning they can infect humans [4]. Deworming is not only about your dog's comfort. It is also about protecting the people in your home.

How Drontal Works

The ingredients work in different ways against different worms, which is why a combination product covers more ground than a single drug.

Pyrantel acts on roundworms and hookworms by interfering with the parasite's nervous system, which paralyzes the worm so it loses its grip on the intestinal wall and passes out in the stool. Praziquantel targets tapeworms in a similar way, damaging the worm so the body can clear it. Febantel is a pro-drug that the body converts into an active form that also acts against roundworms and hookworms.

Because the drugs act on the worms and not on your dog's own nervous system at normal doses, most dogs tolerate treatment well. The worms are typically passed over the next day or two, sometimes visible in the stool. You may not see anything at all, especially with tapeworms, which often break apart and dissolve.

Drontal for Dogs Instructions: Dosing Basics

Who Decides the Dose

Your veterinarian decides the dose. It is based on your dog's body weight and the worms being treated. Never split a tablet by guesswork or copy a dose from another dog, even one of the same breed. A dog that weighs twice as much needs roughly twice the drug, and a small dog given a large dog's tablet can be overdosed. Puppies are dosed differently from adults, and your vet will factor in age and size.

If you are unsure how much your dog weighs, ask your vet's office to weigh the dog. Guessing at home is a common reason for underdosing, which can leave worms behind.

Giving the Tablet With or Without Food

You can give Drontal with or without food. Food does not usually change how well it works, and a small amount of food can make the pill easier to swallow.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine offers a practical method for any pill: offer several small, plain treats first without any medication, then slip the medicated treat in among them [2]. Vary the number of plain treats before the medicated one, or change the order, so your dog stays interested and eats quickly without time to lick or chew [2]. The goal is speed. A dog that gulps treats swallows the pill before tasting it.

If your dog is a careful chewer, a pilling gun can help. This device holds the pill in a rubber tip and has a plunger that delivers the pill near the back of the throat, so you avoid putting your fingers in your dog's mouth [2]. It also places the pill farther back, which makes swallowing more likely than spitting it out [2].

For dogs that snap or bite when handled, see How to Give Your Dog a Pill When They Bite or Snap. If you want more general techniques, How to Safely Give Your Dog a Pill: Tips and Tricks walks through the options.

A few practical notes:

Do not crush the tablet into a full meal unless your vet says it is fine. A dog that eats only part of the meal gets only part of the dose.
Avoid hiding the pill in a food your dog may walk away from, such as a large bowl of kibble.
If your dog takes other medications, ask your vet about timing. Some drugs are best separated by a couple of hours.
Wash your hands after handling the tablet.

What to Do About a Missed Dose

If you miss a dose, give it as soon as you remember, unless it is almost time for the next one. In that case, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double up to make up for a missed tablet.

Deworming schedules vary. Some dogs need a single dose, and others need a repeat in two to four weeks to catch worms that were in an earlier life stage at the first treatment. Your veterinarian sets that schedule. If you miss a dose in a multi-dose plan, call the clinic. They can tell you whether to restart the interval or simply continue.

Common and Serious Side Effects

Most dogs have no reaction or only mild, brief signs. Vomiting and loose stool are the most likely complaints, and they usually settle within a day. The table below separates the everyday from the urgent.

Side effect	How common or serious	What to do
Mild vomiting once	Common, usually not serious	Offer water, withhold food for a short time, then offer a small bland meal. Call your vet if it repeats.
Soft stool or mild diarrhea	Common, usually not serious	Keep water available. Call if it lasts more than a day or contains blood.
Drooling or lip smacking	Common after a bitter tablet	Offer water or a small treat. This usually passes quickly.
Sleepiness or mild sluggishness	Uncommon, usually mild	Let your dog rest. Call if it lasts more than a day.
Repeated vomiting or vomiting within an hour of the dose	Serious because the dose may not be absorbed	Call your veterinarian the same day for advice on whether to redose.
Hives, facial swelling, trouble breathing	Rare but an emergency	Go to an emergency clinic right away.
Bloody diarrhea, collapse, or seizures	Rare but an emergency	Go to an emergency clinic right away.

If your dog vomits shortly after the tablet, do not assume the medicine was absorbed. Call your vet before giving another dose. Giving a second full dose on top of a partially absorbed first dose can overshoot the intended amount.

Who Should Not Take It and Drug Interactions

Drontal is not right for every dog. Tell your veterinarian about everything your dog takes, including prescriptions, over-the-counter products, and supplements.

Dogs that need extra caution or a different product include:

Puppies below the age your veterinarian considers safe for the product. Young puppies are dosed on a specific schedule set by the vet.
Pregnant or nursing dogs. Deworming during pregnancy is sometimes needed, but the timing and product choice must come from your veterinarian.
Dogs with liver or kidney disease, or dogs that are weak, dehydrated, or recovering from illness.
Dogs with a known allergy to any ingredient in the tablet.
Dogs already taking another dewormer. Stacking products can double up on the same drug class.

Collies and other herding breeds are sometimes sensitive to certain antiparasitic drugs. Ask your veterinarian whether that applies to your dog's specific product. Do not assume any dewormer is safe for a sensitive breed without checking.

Drug interactions matter. If your dog takes a monthly heartworm preventive, a flea and tick product, or a prescription for a chronic condition, your vet needs that list before prescribing. Some combination parasite products already contain pyrantel or praziquantel, so adding Drontal on top could repeat an ingredient [4][5].

Overdose and When to Call a Veterinarian or Poison Control

An overdose can happen when a dog eats extra tablets from the package, when two people in the house each give a dose, or when a dog is given a tablet meant for a larger dog.

Signs that need immediate attention include repeated vomiting, drooling that will not stop, wobbliness, tremors, or seizures. If you suspect an overdose, call your veterinarian or an animal poison control service right away. Have the package with you so you can read the ingredients and the strength of each tablet. Tell them your dog's weight and how many tablets were eaten.

Do not wait for symptoms to appear before calling. Early advice is easier to act on than a dog who is already sick.

Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian

Dewormers treat worms. They do not fix every cause of vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, or a potbelly. If your dog's signs continue after treatment, the problem may be something else, and a fecal test or exam is the next step. Individual cases need a veterinarian who can examine your dog.

Call your veterinarian the same day if:

Your dog vomits more than once after the dose.
Your dog has diarrhea that lasts more than 24 hours.
You are not sure whether the tablet stayed down.
You missed a dose and do not know how to adjust the schedule.
Your dog seems painful, dull, or off their food.

Go to an emergency clinic now if:

Your dog has trouble breathing, hives, or swelling of the face or muzzle.
Your dog collapses, has a seizure, or cannot stand.
Your dog has severe or bloody diarrhea with vomiting.
You know or suspect a large overdose.

Schedule a routine visit if:

You see worms in the stool or around the tail area after treatment.
Your dog has ongoing gas, soft stool, or a dull coat.
You need a deworming schedule for a puppy, a pregnant dog, or a dog in a high-risk environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I give Drontal on an empty stomach?

Yes. Food is not required for the tablet to work, and many owners give it on an empty stomach without any problem. If your dog vomits easily on an empty stomach, a small treat or a light meal can help the tablet go down and stay down.

What if my dog spits out the pill?

Check the floor and your dog's mouth before assuming the dose was swallowed. If the tablet is intact, you can try again with a treat sequence or a pilling gun [2]. If you cannot tell whether it went down, call your veterinarian instead of giving a second full dose.

How long does it take for Drontal to work?

The medicine starts acting within hours, and worms are usually passed over the next day or two. You may not see worms at all, especially with tapeworms. A follow-up fecal test is the reliable way to confirm the worms are gone.

Can I deworm my dog at home without a vet visit?

You can give a dewormer at home if your veterinarian has prescribed it and set the dose. Buying a product and guessing the amount is risky, especially for puppies and small dogs. A fecal test also tells your vet which worms are present, so the right product is used.

Is Drontal safe around pregnant dogs and puppies?

Pregnancy and puppyhood are the two situations where you should not guess. Some deworming is needed during these stages, but the product, dose, and timing are decisions your veterinarian makes after weighing your dog's health and the risk of worms passing to puppies.

Do I need to clean up after treatment?

Yes. Worm eggs and larvae can linger in the yard, bedding, and toys. Pick up stool promptly, wash bedding in hot water, and clean food and water bowls. Good hygiene lowers the chance your dog picks up the same worms again, and it protects people in the household from zoonotic parasites [4][3].

References

Field efficacy of Febantel, Pyrantel embonate and Praziquantel (Drontal® Tasty) against naturally acquired intestinal helminths of hunting dogs in southern Italy. Parasites & vectors, 2025.
How to medicate your dog. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Efficacy of a novel chewable tablet (Credelio Quattro™) containing lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel against Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina infections in dogs. Parasites & vectors, 2025.
Efficacy of a novel chewable tablet (Credelio Quattro™) containing lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel for the treatment and control of hookworm infections in dogs. Parasites & vectors, 2025.
Field efficacy and safety evaluation of a novel chewable tablet (Credelio Quattro™) containing lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel against gastrointestinal nematode infections in dogs in the USA. Parasites & vectors, 2025.